Magnesium is vital to your body’s overall health and is responsible for more than 300 chemical reactions. It is essential in the growth, maintenance of bones, nerve function, and muscle movement just to name a few. It also helps neutralize stomach acid and helps move waste through the intestines properly. People with IBD can often have a magnesium deficiency, as diarrhea and vomiting aid in its loss. Another reason IBD patients may suffer from deficiency is that magnesium is absorbed in the ileum (a large portion of the small intestine) which is a part that is often affected by the active disease.
So how do you know if you have low magnesium levels? Symptoms include facial muscle twitching, fatigue, chronic pain, tingling, poor sleep, and muscle cramps. However, since magnesium is responsible for so many functions, symptoms can vary and are not limited to the ones listed above. You may also be at risk if you are suffering from any malabsorption issues. Whether from active disease, temporary or permanent ostomy, or other manifestations such as a stricture you should get your magnesium levels checked. If you suspect your magnesium may be low, or are dealing with any of the conditions above, talk to your GI doctor. They can order a simple blood draw to test your magnesium levels.
Poor diet, stress, and older age can also be contributing factors. For diet, in particular, carbonated drinks, refined sugar, ultra-processed food, alcohol, and caffeine, all interfere with magnesium absorption directly. Cutting out these items will greatly help your gut and magnesium levels. Stress is another factor to consider. When the body is constantly in fight or flight mode it can’t focus on bodily absorption or healing. Intense stress can lead to the malabsorption of many nutrients, not just magnesium. Getting stress under control can not only help proper absorption but will also help decrease GI symptoms and frequency. Lastly, age is also something to look at. The older we get the harder it is for our body to absorb nutrients, which is why older adults often take so many vitamins. Knowing what your body is lacking, and substituting it with quality vitamins is a big step in the right direction for people of all ages.
If your test does come back positive as magnesium deficiency there are several things you can do to help. Magnesium can be found in many foods including; broccoli, dark leafy greens, nuts, meat, coffee, tap water, and dairy products. Not surprisingly, almost all these foods listed can be hard for those with IBD to digest, especially during times of active disease. If you find you are having a hard time with these magnesium-rich foods, you can also take magnesium supplement pills, or use a transdermal product like magnesium salts for baths. Skin is your largest organ and absorbs everything we put on it in some capacity. By adding these special flakes that can be put in warm bath water or a foot soak you increase your absorption. The temperature of the water helps to open your pores so they can absorb things more quickly, thus receiving the magnesium almost instantly.
While many IBD patients know to keep an eye on their Vitamin D, B12, and Calcium levels, most don’t think about Magnesium. While it may be a vitamin we don’t often check, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t important. In fact, magnesium deficiency has even been linked to the altering of our gut bacteria, making us more susceptible to excess inflammation. This, in turn, would lead us to think it could be a possible solution to help those with IBD. While more research needs to be done on magnesium and IBD in particular, we know it has many important functions and shouldn’t be overlooked. So, what are you waiting for? Get your magnesium levels checked today!
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